Jonathan Toews Hurt, Blackhawks Flat In Loss

Jonathan Toews left the ice with just under eight minutes left in the second period favoring an arm, and he did not return.

Corey Crawford left the ice with just under four minutes left in the second period after failing to keep the Blackhawks in a big game, and the Hawks around him didn’t do much to help their netminder in a rough 5-2 loss.

After a late game in Chicago on Friday night, only Marian Hossa appeared to show up at the arena in Nashville. Hossa had both of Chicago’s goals in the game, giving him 20 on the season, but the rest of the performance from the Hawks was ugly.

Toews had a very uncharacteristically bad night before leaving. He won only one of six faceoffs and was minus-one in over nine minutes of ice time.

Crawford had a bad night as well. With the score tied at one early in the second period, he let a one-hop shot from center ice past him. That goal stole appeared to completely deflate a Blackhawks team that didn’t get into Nashville until after 3 AM, and the rest of the night was the road team going through the motions.

Coach Joel Quenneville pulled Crawford after he allowed four goals in 17 shots. The defense in front of him wasn’t very good, and the Hawks managed only 11 shots on Vezina-candidate Pekka Rinne through two periods. The Hawks did manage to double their shot total with 11 in the third, but not many of those chances were very good.

Hossa scored his second goal of the night only 48 seconds into the third, but any thoughts of a comeback were crushed by a Patric Hornqvist goal of the game just over two minutes later. Viktor Stalberg did have a strong night as well, unfortunately hitting two posts.

Brent Seabrook appeared to get hurt a couple times in the game, and his ice time was limited to under 19 minutes on the game. His status will be interesting to watch, but the player of primary concern is Toews. After the game, Quenneville said Toews suffered an upper-body injury and is considered day to day.

With increased playing time in the absence of Toews, rookie Marcus Kruger had a solid performance. In over 19 minutes of ice time, Kruger was credited with one blocked shot and one hit, and won five of 11 faceoffs. Jamal Mayers won seven of 11 faceoffs in the loss.

Crawford had been better lately, posting a 3-1-1 record and .916 save percentage in his five appearances before soiling the sheets in Nashville. Ray Emery allowed one goal in six shots in relief.

12 thoughts on “Jonathan Toews Hurt, Blackhawks Flat In Loss”

Half way through this game, it could have/should have been 3-0 Chicago, but for Corey Crawford…and then from the mid point of the game Nick Leddy fell apart, again.

But I think it is worth noting that the one Hawk that had no excuse for being tired was Crawford, and yet that is exactly how he looked out there. He was BRUTAL, not just bad, but brutal. He has lost the skill on controlling rebounds and he is giving up far too many 2nd and 3rd chances (and with this defence that is a killer), plus his body control is atrocious. He flops way too soon and is far too slow to get back into a square position.

On the centre ice goal, Crawford flopped to his knees and let the harmless puck play him. I appreciate this is only one game, but it does not bode well for the Hawks as they head into their toughest stretch of the season. Unless CC wakes up and rebounds, the Hawks and this below average group of defenceman are going to be in for a long haul.

And if the Hawks give this effort back home on Tuesday, they will lose the back end of this double header….

I was out during the game and haven’t watched it but if Toews was uncharacteristically bad in it, it makes me wonder if he was actually fighting whatever injury he suffered in the Florida game. Sounds like the type of guy he is, to want to try to play through an injury if he thought he could. He’s been so beat up lately, I just hope he didn’t do worse damage trying to play through. Look at the Bulls and D.Rose and how many games he’s now missed because he tried that. If Toews is actually injured then losing this game will be the least of the Blackhawks concerns.

I hate to say it but when is one of the goalies going to steal a game? It hasn’t happened yet and I hate to say it, it doesn’t look like its going to happen anytime soon. I know the D isn’t helping him out much but they didn’t during the playoffs last season and he was lights out then. Something needs to change and it needs to happen soon.

Crow has been disappointingly flat or bad this year. It’s starting to look like he can’t build on last season’s solid work.

IMO, defense is far, far more of a concern than forward. Keith and Seabs are good most nights, though could stand to be more physical. Monty just didn’t work out, Lepisto is a waste on this team, Hammer is, from what I can tell, getting better, but still needs to be aggressive and needs to be paired with some one who can move bodies. Watch what happens to our forwards on most nights when they get close to the net, and that’s what needs to happen when people get close to ours. People need to get knocked over and pushed out of the way so there is no one to play rebounds, which have been abundant this year.

further proof that there are only three Hawks who can carry this team… Toews, Sharp, and Hoss- Not Kane- Missing in action in “big game”-

Crow looks almost as bad as Turco- flopping like a fish out of water.

Hope the Hawks took the time to x-ray Toews wrist after Florida game (where he was chopped- just like Sharpie vs. Wings- Sharp has fracture) he was noticeably hurt then!
If Toews out for extended period- with the “real part of schedule” coming up the Hawks will be exposed.

Nashville had a big advantage not playing the night before while we did and then we had to travel in bad weather(delays) to nashville. That will be reversed Tuesday as they play the night before(we don’t) and then they have to travel to us. For some reason we always seem to play more games early in the year and I think thats a disadvantage until the schedule evens out. Regardless, Crawford had a real bad game. I also thought Nashville got away with some stuff. For instance didn’t Montador get crushed long after he passed the puck when he was behind the goal. I don’t think Nashville was going to score early without the power play. If we play disciplined on Tuesday and get some decent goal tending we should be able to handle them.

The sch. thing does make a diff. I looked at the other top teams sch. in conf. & We all play a lot of games in the past 2 wks (7 games in 11 days), but then after all teams have 2 days off, we play 3 games in 4 days and the other teams have those 3 games spread out SA, M, W… Theres no excuses everyteam plays back to backs, 3in4, etc. but it should be the same amount for every team and its not. It doesnt even out, everyyear there are approx. 5 teams that get a harder sch. and 5 that get an eaiser one (with everyonelse having an even sch.).

It is what it is, and its not even (and doesn’t even out for all teams by game 82). The sch. makers can’t be that stupid to have everyteam play the exact same amount of back/back, 3in4 and 7in11’s and length of road trips… Its not rocket science and they have had how ever many years since theres been 30 teams in the league to figure it out and still havn’t. Whatever, at least in the playoffs when it matters the more (other than home ice for 2 and maybe 3 round) all teams play having the same amount of time between games and only play 3 games each wk…

Were going to have ups and downs all year, every year (2010 was no different, and we were +22 & +15 the others years…). We do need to get our other players soon, expecially the defenceman (and center). Were still playing wo soupy and his 7.1m contract. It wont be long before we get them and Sharpy (which is like getting a Parise in a trade for free). So we can play with our full lineup. It wouldnt hurt to get a evenly reffed game (terrible no calls 8 in last 16 games, this needs to stop now). Then the other teams will have to play clean (or we might as well slash and injure players).

No matter when were in a up or down, its good to know and not forget we are a top 5 team and will be reguardless of 1,4or5 seed.

Last two years I noticed we start off the season with most games early in the year. I wonder if that has anything to do with the Circus being at the United Center in November each year and that puts us on that extended road trip. Also wondering if winning the cup is messing with our schedule with putting us in more national games. When you have played four or 5 more games than your opponnent at a certain point in the year I would think would benefit the team that has played less.

Talent has really leveled out throughout the league; no one appears to be heads & tails above anyone else any longer. If a team is not on their game every night, they’re susceptible to getting beat; just like last night in Nashville.
This team can be dominated by an opponent if they’re not truly revved up and ready to play; the 2010 team rarely, if ever, was dominated. I think I’m correct in stating that the Hawks may be among the few teams, if not the only, that has yet to post a shutout win. Even with all the criticism Huet took, he was able to register a handful of shutouts. Of course, I know that requires a total team effort as well.
Hossa must have grabbed enough sleep on the plane as he clearly had his legs.
Like many here, I’m disappointed in CC; I’m hoping he isn’t a 1x wonder.

In Canada rumours are heavy this morning about the news that the Hawks have contacted the Canadiens for either Chris Campoli himself, or a larger trade involving Campoli and a forward, possibly Kostitsyn.

I have to say at this point, if we can’t get EXACTLY what we NEED at a cost that makes sense, then we shouldn’t make compromises for the sake of doing something. While Campoli’s puck moving ability was nice to have hear, it was replaced by Nick Leddy…what we really need is a strong DMan who clears the front of the net, and kills penalties…this is NOT Chris Campoli…

Winning a Cup is very difficult, and a multitude of things have to fall exactly into place to win one…I just don’t think we are there, and giving away too much from our farm system is not the answer if we do not get exactly what we need in return.

re: Brad – I know the organization liked Campoli last year and probably would have kept him if he A) was healthy and B) would have taken a deal similar to what they gave Montador. But neither was the case. I tend to agree with you, though, that he really isn’t an upgrade on Leddy, and his health concerns are too much to ignore. Kostitsyn is just another RW, so I’m not sure how/where he fits in the lineup. We need centers and left wings IF (big if) the Hawks decide to add up front.